Sunday, November 20, 2016

Desprez, Josquin. (1450-55-1521) Masses.

New acquisition.Bought in November 2016.First listen: 20-11-2016.Label: Ligia.Recording dates: August 2011.Recording venue: L'Église de Javols (Lozère, France)Recording engineer: Jean Marc Laisne.Running time: 65:00Classical relevance: Nice performance, but it will no add more as you already might know.Works performed:Mass:La sol fa re mi.Gaudeamus.Performed by:Metamorphoses Biscantor, Maurice Bourbon. It came with the Ligia order some days ago, and I was just curious what this to me unknown French singers would do with Desprez. Well it's a mixed blessing actually. The voices are good, but not exceptional. Very earthbound I have to say, and missing the spiritual depth this music needs. There is not much nuance or fine detailing in the singing, and the dynamics are sometimes badly chosen, but the choir balance is okay. Intimacy is missing, and the choir sounds bigger as it is due to the recording, that gives too much ambient info, and causing the sound to be fuzzy at times. Furtheron in the recording the sound is modified in a good sense, but that took them quite some time to hear this, which is a pity, and does not contribute to the success of the composition. So overall this is a pleasant interpretation, but it will not replace or come near to existing recordings already on the market, it simply has not enough class, and is a bit matter of fact. And another example of not thinking outside the box, the French editors of the booklet did not find it necessary to give the text of the masses, but filled the booklet with silly and useless info. A so called interview with Josquin and the director of this ensemble, dear o dear, what a puberal exercise....The layout of the booklet is very tasteful, that's the other side of my criticism.